Abstract

Mixed metal oxide nanoparticles have interesting physical and chemical properties, but synthesizing them with colloidal methods is still challenging and often results in very heterogeneous structures. Here, we describe a simple method to synthesize mesoporous titania nanoparticles implanted with a uniform distribution of copper oxide nanocrystals (CuO@MTs). By calcining a titanium-based metal-organic framework (MIL-125) in the presence of Cu ions, we can trap the Cu in the TiO 2 matrix. Removal of the organic ligand creates mesoporosity and limits phase separation so that tiny CuO nanocrystals form in the interstices of the TiO 2 . The CuO@MTs exhibits superior performance for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (4760 μmol h -1 ) that is > 90 times larger than pristine titania.